QUEBEC AND TRI-CITY SPLIT DOUBLEHEADER AND THE 'BOLTS END LOSING STREAK

Quebec vs Tri-City

Game 1

The Tri-City ValleyCats and Quebec Capitales met on Wednesday afternoon at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium with two seven-inning matchups on the docket.

Jose Cruz would take the mound for Tri-City in game one, opposed by Joel Huertas. Both pitchers had similar first innings, standing the lone base runner at first to end the inning.

Cruz would come out unscathed in the second inning after working out of a jam with two runners on and nobody out. Left fielder Brantley Bell would make a spectacular sliding play, doubling up Tristan Pompey at second. Cruz would get Garrett Takamatsu to ground out to end the inning.

The 'Cats offense would get on the board first in the bottom of the second, with Denis Phipps scoring on an RBI groundout from Jace Mercer. Carson McCusker would rope a single into left field to plate Juan Silverio, who singled earlier in the inning. The Capitales would get one back in the top of the third inning however, a solo shot from Jeffry Parra.

The lead would stay 2-1 until the sixth inning, when the Capitales bats came alive. ValleyCats reliever Brac Warren would get Parra to fly out to lead off the sixth, but the next three batters he'd face would reach. Right fielder Josh McAdams would rip an RBI double into right field, giving Quebec the 3-2 lead. They would scratch one more across the plate on an RBI sacrifice fly from pinch hitter Mark-Antoine Lebreaux.

Tri-City would not lay down for Quebec, as they were able to score five of their own runs to regain the lead in the bottom half of the sixth. Juan Silverio led the inning off with a double to bring Jace Mercer to the dish. The switch hitting infielder tied the game with one swing of the bat, a two run home run into the visitors bullpen. An RBI single from Jesus Lujano and a two-RBI single from Denis Phipps capped off the five-run bottom of the sixth.

The Capitales wouldn't go quietly, scoring two runs in the top of the seventh inning, however closer Trey Cochran-Gill was able to strand the tying run at third.

Game 2

Game two featured a new face to the fans at The Joe, Ryan Williamson made his first start of the season, facing off against the ace of the Quebec Capitales pitching staff, Miguel Cienfeugos. 

The left hander Williamson struck out the side in the first inning, while Cienfeugos allowed a lowly single to Jesus Lujano, ultimately stranding him there with a Denis Phipps strike out to end the first inning. 

Williamson found himself in a bit of trouble in the second with runners on the corners with only one away. The lefty was able to shake off the trouble, striking out Josh McAdams and Garrett Takamatsu to end the inning. 

Cienfeugos would keep the ValleyCats offense in check, only allowing three hits over his first four innings of work. Quebec's lead off hitter David Glaude would reach with one out in the third inning off with a single. Tristan Pompey would get Quebec on the board first with a towering two-run blast into the ValleyCat bullpen, ending Williamson's night. Tomas Kretzler would come in and outside of a walk to Jeffry Parra, would retire the side. 

Kretzler's only blemish on his outing was a solo home run by David Glaude in the fifth inning, extending the lead for Quebec to 3-0. The 'Cats would get one back in the fifth inning, when Tyler Krabbe would single home Carson McCusker, who doubled down the right field line the inning prior. That would be the only run the 'Cats could muster off of Cienfeugos. 

Quebec would score four more times in the game, one in the sixth inning, and three in the seventh, all off of reliever Jake Dexter. Cienfeugos would retire the ValleyCats in order in their last two trips to the plate to complete his outing. 

Windy City vs Washington 

For the first time since June 26, the Windy City ThunderBolts won a game, knocking off the Washington Wild Things, 4-3, on Wednesday night. The win snapped an eight-game losing streak.

The Wild Things (32-16) grabbed an instant lead with Nick Ward hitting a lead-off homer in the bottom of the first.

The Bolts (19-27) kicked off their scoring in the top of the third. After a leadoff walk to Payton Robertson, he stole second. Robertson scored on Bren Spillane's automatic double to tie the score, 1-1.

Windy City used a two-out rally in the fifth inning. After the first two hitters were set down, the Bolts collected five straight hits and scored three runs. Jairus Richards singled, then Brian Fuentes broke the tie with an RBI double. The next hitter, Jake Boone, collected an RBI triple. Boone also scored when the relay throw to third base was errant.

Washington inched closer with two runs in the sixth inning. Wagner Lagrange drove in a run on a sacrifice fly and Scotty Dubrule touched home on a wild pitch.

In a one-run game, the Bolts bullpen was lights out. Justin Miller (1.1 innings), Daniel Kight (one inning) and Layne Schnitz-Paxton (one inning) combined for 3.1 innings of shutout ball to preserve the lead. That trio helped Garrett Christman (1-2) earn the win after 5.2 innings of three-run (two earned) ball. Schnitz-Paxton (7) earned the save.

Starter Hayden Pearce (4-2) suffered the loss for Washington.

Lake Erie vs Florence

Lake Erie Crushers (20-27) entered Wednesday night's contest with two late inning wins in a row. They faced off against the Florence Y'alls (17-29) who needed a win in any way possible as they came in on a eight game losing streak and last in the West Divison. 

Both teams provided offense early in the game as 16 total runs were scored in the first five innings. Lake Erie used a big first and fourth inning to propel past the Y'alls 10-7. 

The Crushers stomped on the Y'alls right out of the gate with five runs in the first inning. The first run was from Connor Owings, an RBI single to right field. Kokko Figueiredo lined an RBI sac-fly to left field. Austin White followed with a two RBI double down left field. To cap off the big inning, Kemuel Thomas-Rivero poked an RBI single to center field.

Florence answered with three runs in the bottom half of the first. Brennan Price lined an RBI single to left field. Homerun machine Anthony Brocato continued his powerful season at the plate with a two run home run.

The Y'alls provided three more runs in the third inning. Almost an exact repeat of the first inning for Florence. An RBI single for Brennan Price. Brocato decided one home run wasn't enough for him so he followed with his second at-bat another two run home run, which gave the Y'alls their first lead. 

Half inning later the Crushers were crushing the baseball and answered with a five run fourth inning. Jackson Valera continued his hot stretch with a two run home run, and Lake Erie retained the lead. Sean Cheely squeaked an RBI single to right field. Thomas-Rivero followed with a two RBI double to left field, it'd be his third RBI of the night.

As the inning concluded a rain delay was called and lasted 42 minutes. 

When play resumed, Elliot Carney called out of the bullpen for Lake Erie. Carney with one of his best outings of the season. He'd go on and throw three straight scoreless innings until in the eighth when Andres Rios recorded an RBI single to right field, cutting the deficit at three. Overall, Carney threw four innings, allowed two hits, one run, zero walks, and struck out three. He'd go on and receive the win as well.

With the Crushers up by three going into the bottom of the ninth, it was Sam Curtis called to convert the save opportunity. Curtis continued his impressive season out of the bullpen with a 1-2-3 ninth inning that included a strike for his sixth save of the season, as well as a series win for the Crushers. 

Gateway vs Joliet

The Gateway Grizzlies got a stellar start on the mound from Steven Ridings (2-1), who blanked the Joliet Slammers on just one hit over six innings, while the offense amassed 13 hits and scored two runs in four different innings en route to an 8-4 win at Duly Health and Care Field in Joliet on Wednesday night. 

Gateway threatened to score in each of the first two innings against Cam Aufderheide (4-4), but could not get the big hit until the third, when Jay Prather gave the Grizzlies the lead with two outs on a single to make it 2-0. After the Slammers put the tying runs in scoring position in the bottom of the frame, but did not score, the Grizzlies added two more runs on an RBI groundout by Andrew Penner and a wild pitch by Aufderheide, doubling their lead to 4-0. 

The Grizzlies would not stop on this night- in the sixth, with two outs, Isaac Benard and Zach Racusin knocked in one run each on RBI hits to make it 6-0. Then, in the seventh, Cesar Trejo would single home Trevor Achenbach for a 7-0 lead before Abdiel Diaz brought in Trejo on a sacrifice fly for an 8-0 advantage. 

Ridings, meanwhile, ended his start by retiring the final eight batters he faced to keep the Slammers at bay. Joliet would score four runs in the bottom of the seventh after Ridings departed, but they would not get closer, as Nick Kennedy and Lukas Veinbergs held the home team off the board in the late innings to clinch the road series win for Gateway. 

Offensively, eight of the nine batters in the Grizzlies order had at least one hit, with five garnering multiple hits in the contest. Seven of the nine batters scored a run as well, with six recording an RBI as Gateway pulled into a tie with the Slammers at 24-24 in the West Division standings. 

Sussex County vs New York

The David Vinsky led off the bottom of the ninth inning with his eighth home run of the season to give the host New York Boulders a 6-5 win over the Sussex County Miners on Wednesday at Clover Stadium in Pomona.

Vinsky hit MIners' reliever Robert Klinchock's first pitch of the home ninth inning into the left field bleachers for the game winner.

The Miners had entered the ninth inning trailing 5-4 and rallied to tie it at 5-5. After New York reliever Zach Schneider got Carson McCurdy to fly out leading off the inning, he walked Errol Robinson, who proceeded to steal second base and then advance to third when Schneider's attempted pick off at second sailed into center field.

Nilo Rijo then singled to level the game at 5-5 and bring Ryan Munoz on to pitch for New York,

With Martin Figueroa at the plate, Rijo stole second and moved on to third base when Boulders' catcher Alphonso Reda's throw bounced into center field.

Munoz got Figueroa to fly out to shallow left field with Rijo holding at third base; then, after intentionally walking Mikey Reynolds, induced an inning ending grounder to second by Webb Little to keep the game tied at 5-5.

Munoz picked up the win for New York in his first decision of the season, while Klinchock took the loss that evened his mark at 1-1.

The Boulders rallied in the seventh inning against Sussex County reliever James Mulry to grab the lead. A single by David Vinsky evened the game at 4-4, then, one batter later, Francisco Del Valle's single gave New York a 5-4 advantage.

The Miners got to Boulders' starter Justin Alintoff, who was making his season debut, for a run in the top of the first inning on an RBI single by Webb Little.

Alintoff, though, settled down and allowed only two hits over the next three innings. However, Sussex County finally got to the righthander again, this time in the fifth inning, scoring three runs, all coming on Mikey Reynolds' third home run of the season that staked the Miners to a 4-2 lead,

Alintoff went 4 1/3 innings in his initial start of the season. He allowed four runs on seven hits, while walking two and striking out three.

New York did counter the Sussex County run in the first with two in their half of the inning, both on a double by Austin Dennis, who had three hits on the night.

The Boulders would cut their deficit to 4-3 with Jake MacKenzie's eighth home run of the season, a solo shot in the fifth inning off Susses County starter Connor Dand, who lasted six innings and surrendered three runs oin six hits. Dand struck out five and walked a pair.

Schaumburg vs Evansville

In a battle of strong pitching and small ball, the Evansville Otters defeated the Schaumburg Boomers 3-2 on Wednesday night for their franchise-tying record ninth straight win.

Both teams seem to match the other Wednesday, putting forth a gritty effort on the field.

The Schaumburg Boomers claimed the first run of the game in the second inning, putting together three-straight singles. William Salas' RBI single gave the Boomers the 1-0 lead. 

In the fourth, small ball reigned for Evansville as Andy Armstrong's sacrifice bunt set the table for Miles Gordon. With runners on second and third, Gordon brought in the tying run with a sacrifice fly RBI.

Schaumburg answered in the fifth, retaking the lead on a sacrifice fly of their own by Alec Craig. 

The Otters wasted no time responding this time, once again leveling the game with a sacrifice fly, this time by Armstrong.

In the sixth, Evansville finally took their first lead of the game on a George Callil home run, his first at Bosse Field. 

In the meantime, Parker Brahms continued to pitch well on the mound for Evansville.

Augie Gallardo and Logan Sawyer closed things out in the eighth and ninth inning respectively, giving the Otters their ninth win in a row, tying the franchise's all-time record.

Brahms earned the win, his fifth of 2022, allowing just two runs on five hits across seven full innings. Aaron Glickstein fell in the contest, his third loss of the year. Sawyer claimed his 14th save of the season, extending his lead atop the Frontier League. 

The Otters only had four hits in the game, as Callil and Anthony Torreullas each recorded two each.